Public radio

My public radio station (yours too, I suspect) is fund-raising right now. One morning last week I spent 4 hours answering pledge phones, enjoying conversations with listeners and the company of other volunteers in the studio. Our station, KUOW, treats pledge volunteers very well. We get a comfortable place to answer phones, lots of staff help when needed, tempting food and drink, and plenty of thank-you's. These people know how to motivate volunteers!

I've listened to NPR forever, and it pleases me that my children, instead of reacting against their early brainwashing, now are dedicated listeners themselves.

An interesting new wrinkle is HD. This little radio mysteriously brings in not just KUOW, but also two other channels (when the blue light stops flashing.) One channel offers various NPR programs KUOW doesn't carry, as well as an interesting selection of CBC and European radio programs. Third channel is BBC World Service - a treat to hear during the day instead of the middle of the night.

On CBC, I've now heard two parts of a 3-part discussion of Don Quixote, which may be just enough to encourage me to finish the fat paperback version (Edith Grossman translation) I bought last year. (It's one of too many fat paperbacks stacked on the bedside shelf.)

The program is worth hearing just for the classic British take on the title - "Don Kwixoat." Spoken in the best of academic accents. The Canadian host and all North American and European scholars interviewed all spin out impeccable Spanish.